Long Journey
by Aleisha Potter
Summary: Sequel to Hard Road. Sam and Dean work with Cas to find a way to reunite Gabriel's grace with a physical vessel while Sam learns more and more about the archangel. Bonds will be formed and Bonds will be tested.
1. Prologue

**Long Journey**

**Prologue**

Ten weeks. Ten weeks and counting. Dean kept expecting it to blow up in his face but... ten weeks and things were... good. Things weren't perfect, but, Dean was pretty sure normal relationships weren't supposed to be perfect. He wished he and Cas had more time together, he wished they agreed about more things, there was always going to be something, but that was okay. The hardest part was when they were working together on a case. He didn't realize that Cas calling him out, questioning his choices would _hurt_ so bad. He should have known better. Of course being in a relationship with the angel didn't mean he'd immediately start agreeing with everything, start seeing everything in the same light. Wouldn't that make life boring? He was still surprised at how angry he'd been when he'd given an order and Cas had said NO.

All in all, it was an easy thing to come back from. Their bond was good for something at least, all of the words Dean never knew how to say, they could still be _there_, right there in Cas's mind without Dean every having to utter a word.

"Dean. Earth to Dean," Sam waved a hand in front of Dean's face, pulling him from his musings.

"Huh? Sorry, Sam. I zoned out. This shit's boring!" Dean slammed the book he'd been reading, or pretending to read, closed. "All that's in here is messed up rituals and baby sacrifices. Nothing that's gonna help us get Gabriel a body."

"Same here. If I can find a way, it's not a way that I'd be willing to do," Sam admitted, closing his laptop. "I'm exhausted and hungry. Let's call it a night. There's a diner down the street, want me to grab some dinner?"

"Yeah. Sounds good to me. Burgers and fries, heart attacks in a box."

Sam laughed and shook his head, the small glowing vial swinging side to side on his chest. Twice now Sam had tapped in to Gabriel's grace to save their asses and Dean was trying not to worry. Cas swore it was different than the demon blood, but it left a bad taste in Dean's mouth. The sooner they could get Gabe's grace back where it belonged, the better. Sam yawned again while reaching for his wallet and the Impala's keys.

"Tired already? It's only eight o'clock," Dean pointed out, flopping back on the bed and grabbing remote control.

"Haven't been sleeping that well," Sam mumbled, not meeting Dean's eyes. That was another thing. The dreams. The ones Sam wouldn't tell him about. None of this felt right and Dean wanted it over.

"Hurry back then, you need your beauty sleep... desperately," Dean teased, earning a smile from his brother.

"Whatever, Jerk."

"Bitch."

Sam left and Dean tossed down the remote. He really wasn't in the mood for TV. He closed his eyes and concentrated, searching for Cas. It didn't take long for the bond to flare to life. A soothing, amused feeling flowed from the angel before the sound of fluttering wings echoed through the empty hotel room. Dean opened his eyes.

"Cas," Dean greeted with a grin.

"Dean," Cas replied, moving onto the bed to straddle the hunter. Dean reached up and grabbed Cas's hips, pulling him in snug and pressing his lips to the angel's. Cas returned the kiss enthusiastically while the bond flooded with happiness and arousal.

"Where's Sam?" Cas asked.

"Getting dinner," Dean answered, tugging the t-shirt off of Cas before tossing it over the edge of the bed.

"We don't have much time then," Cas said, whisking their clothes away with a wave of his hand.

"Spoilsport. I like stripping you," Dean complained, grabbing Cas's dick and stroking it lightly.

"Next time, perhaps when Sam is sleeping, or out for more than ten minutes," Cas told him, making a good point. They had managed to keep from getting caught by Sam in a compromising position so far, and Dean would like to keep it that way.

Cas grabbed the pillows Dean was leaning on and tossed them off the bed, pushing the hunter down so he lay flat on his back. He sunk down without warning and took Dean's dick in his mouth, sucking hard and fast.

"Fuck," Dean muttered, no time to catch his breath. Cas moved Dean's legs further apart, exposing him to the open room. It made Dean feel vulnerable, too open. Cas must have picked up on it, because he sent a wave of reassurance across their bond. Dean forced himself to relax and enjoy it. He trusted Cas, he knew the angel wouldn't hurt him, or do anything he was uncomfortable with. Cas moved one hand down, behind his balls, and Dean felt warm, wet fingers brush against his entrance. He took a deep breath, relaxing his muscles more before he nodded, answering Cas's unasked question.

Cas pushed one lubed finger in, past the tight ring of muscle. Dean took another shuddering breath. They had done this a few times since the retreat, and Dean was getting a little more used to it, was learning to _really_ enjoy it, but that first push still left him feeling weird more often than not. The weirdness left soon after Cas found his prostate, it always did, drowned out by pleasure as the angel sucked him off and rubbed incessantly on that sweet spot.

"Cas..." Dean warned when he started to feel his balls draw up. Cas pulled back and gently removed his finger. He moved over Dean, letting his weight cover the hunter. Instead of lining up their cocks, or even rutting against his hip like usual, Cas pulled his hips back and lined his dick up against the cleft of Dean's ass. He grabbed one of Dean's legs and pulled it up and over his hip, encouraging him to wrap it around his waist. This position was new and left Dean a little uneasy. Cas left little reassuring kisses on Dean's collarbone, chest and neck as he started to rock his hips. The motion caused Cas's dick to rub against Dean's sensitive hole, every now and then the head would catch slightly on the rim, barely pushing against it. Dean gasped at the new sensations. His own dick was rubbing against Cas's abs.

"Dean," Cas moaned, thrusting hard, once and catching the rim. Dean felt pressure, just a little and then the hot pulse of Cas coming all over his ass. He felt Cas's pleasure race through the bond as he thrust up once more himself against the angel before spilling all over Cas's stomach and chest.

Both men lay still, breathing hard in the aftermath. Dean could feel a calming wave of happiness flowing through the bond, a feeling he pushed right back to the angel.

"Fuck, Cas," Dean muttered.

"Maybe next time," Cas whispered into his shoulder. Dean huffed out a laugh. Cas pulled up his head and opened his mouth to say something, then froze. His eyes darted out into the distance, like he was listening to something Dean couldn't hear.

"Sam's back," Cas whispered before disappearing. Dean blinked and glanced around confusedly. He was laying on the bed still, but completely dressed. A tinge of regret floated to him from the bond and Dean rolled his eyes.

"You didn't have to disappear, Wuss. You could have just put our clothes back on," he told the ceiling.

"Who are you talking to?" Sam asked, coming back into the hotel room.

Dean just smirked.

Sam inhaled deeply and a look of disgust flashed across his face.

"Oh... ewwww... Dean! No sex in shared rooms! We agreed!"

"No, Sammy, you said that, I didn't have to agree because you never have sex."

"Dean!"

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry. No more sex when we share a room. Now where's my burger? And did you remember the pie?"

"Don't I always?" Sam asked, handing the bag over to Dean. Dean just smiled and dug into his food.

A/N: Well, here we are, at the beginning. The chapters on this probably won't be as long as Hard Road, because that was a little much for my beta to handle. She has a lot of her plate right now, so we'll see how quickly I can get this posted. I'll try not to make you wait as long as I did for Hard Road. Thank you so much to everyone who read HR and for those of you who will read this. I love writing and your AMAZING feedback makes me SO happy and makes it so easy to write more. :) A million cookies to all of you!


	2. Chapter One

**a/n: Okay, here is chapter one! Oh boy... there is this feeling of dread I get when thinking about posting this story. Like, the first one was so popular, that I'm scared this one won't live up to it. Or this fear that the story won't go where people hope it will... all that. The chapters are going to be shorter, but Hard Road was almost too much to handle, and I have FIVE kids now, so shorter chapters take the stress off of me and off of my betas. I hope you enjoy this, and to answer the questions I've been getting, YES this is going towards Sabriel... Also, as a note: Gabriel's dreams: there are some scenes that you might recognize from the Bible. I have taken artistic license with this in the same way the SPN creators have taken it with God and Angels and Heaven and Hell. I mean no disrespect nor do I mean to dabble in sacrilege. I'm just using stories from the Bible as a literary tool, nothing more. Pretty much, if an angel talked to a human, expect it to be Gabe and that it will probably show up, just not necessarily in great detail. Okay, onto the story.**

**Chapter One**

Sam glanced around the hill he found himself on. It wasn't a place he recognized. It was barren, and the wind blew. There was a feeling of hopelessness, of pain and sorrow on the air. He glanced off into the distance. The sun was blanketed behind darkness. An eclipse. He could hear moaning and sobbing on the wind. The feeling of sorrow intensified.

He glanced around, and sure enough, there he was. Another dream, then.

"Gabriel," he called out.

The other man glanced up from where he stood, overlooking the city below. The robes around him billowed in the breeze.

"You're here, again. Why are you always here?" Gabriel answered, tears in his eyes.

"I don't know," Sam admitted.

Gabriel glanced back at the city.

"I don't understand why they did it. I don't understand humanity," the angel confided.

"I know," Sam told him. "But... you will."

"Sam!" Sam jerked awake, one hand clutching the amulet around his neck. "Hey, sleepy head, we were supposed to leave an hour ago. I can't waste any more time on your beauty rest!" his brother called from the door.

Sam rolled over and looked around. He was in the hotel room. They were searching for a crazed coven of witches. He hated witches. Especially these. They delighted in stupid pranks. What a thing to barter your soul for, the power to turn your cheating boyfriend's hair curly and pink.

"Sorry," Sam muttered, pulling himself out of bed and into the bathroom. He quickly showered and changed his clothes, throwing the dirty stuff into his duffel bag. He was getting low on clean clothes, they'd need to do laundry soon.

He walked out and tossed the bag into the trunk of the Impala. He watched Dean through the glass window. His brother was returning their key and by the looks of it, could easily get the girl's number who was tending the counter. The blond girl leaned over, giving off an ample view of her barely clad breasts. Dean offered a calm smile and took a step back, still holding out the key. Sam smiled. Maybe you could teach an old dog new tricks. The blond frowned then glanced over at Sam. Understanding flooded her face and she pulled back from Dean, taking the key with a polite smile. Sam groaned.

Dean made his way back out to the car, whistling along the way.

"She thinks we're fucking," Sam told him bluntly.

Dean stumbled.

"What? Why the fuck would she think that!?" Dean asked, a look of disgust on his face.

"You turned her down. After spending the night in _one _room with another guy. Me," Sam explained, trying not to laugh.

"Oh, for fuck's sake," Dean grumbled, getting into the driver's side. Sam laughed out loud, climbing in as well. "You know why I turned her down," Dean muttered. That sobered him.

"Yeah, I do. Good job," he told his brother. Dean just rolled his eyes.

"Where is lover boy?" Sam asked, realizing they hadn't seen the angel in a few days. Dean shrugged.

"Busy probably. He's got a lot on his plate," he explained, hiding any hurt he might be feeling.

"Awwww, you miss him," Sam teased. Dean punched his arm, but smiled back.

"Yeah, I do. Wanna make something of it?"

"No, I think it's sweet," Sam replied, earning an eyeroll.

"Okay, witches. Where to?" Dean asked, changing the subject.

"Carrolton, about an hour north on 65," Sam told him, pointing towards the highway. Dean nodded and drove off.

* * *

That night, Sam dreamed again. It was different this time, later in time. It looked like Renaissance England. Gabriel was there, dressed as a jester, watching the coronation of some king. He glanced at Sam when he sensed his presence.

"You," the archangel greeted.

"Me," Sam replied.

"I know you," Gabriel commented, moving away from the show below.

Sam nodded.

"Do you remember my name?" he asked. It had taken weeks before Gabriel even noticed his presence, then a few more days of dreams before the angel started to interact with him. If he was starting to remember, maybe they were closer to finding a way to save him.

"No, but... I think I should. You're important. You're marked," he told him, walking along the back wall of the castle.

"Marked?" Sam asked. Gabriel nodded.

"You're a Vessel. An important one."

Sam felt nauseous at the reminder.

"Yeah, I am. But, that's not important, not any more," he told the shorter man. Gabriel tilted his head at that.

"You bear another mark, as well."

Sam was confused by that one.

"Huh?" he asked.

Gabriel stopped walking and turned to face him.

"Darkness. Your soul, it's tattered, in shambles."

Sam furrowed his brow.

"What do you..."

The dream unfurled and Sam opened his eyes. He was back in the hotel and the sound that had awoken him caused him to blush.

"Damnit, Dean!" he hissed.

"Just kissing, Sammy, suck it!" he brother responded. Sam rolled his eyes and turned his back on his brother and Cas. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to go back to sleep, but sleep wouldn't come. Thankfully, the sounds behind him faded quickly into the soft sounds of sleep. He couldn't begrudge his brother time with the angel he loved, they'd worked too hard to get to this point, but he _was _frustrated. It seemed like everytime he started to get somewhere in a dream, he'd wake up.

* * *

Two nights later, Sam was in the bathroom of yet another run down, cheap hotel, scrubbing blood stains off of his favorite jean jacket.

"Man, did she _have_ to make the dog explode?" Dean lamented from the main room. "I mean, c'mon! What did the dog ever do?"

Sam snorted.

"Better the dog than us," he pointed out.

"Dude, I thought you _liked_ dogs," Dean called back.

"I do. But, if the spell was going to fly around, I'd rather it hit the dog than you," Sam admitted. He heard his brother sigh, but didn't answer. He glanced down at his bare chest, Gabriel's grace glowing reassuringly where it hung against his heart. He'd done it again, Dean was just refusing to acknowledge it. When the witch had been close, her spell gaining power, he'd freaked out. She'd gone for Dean, flinging cutting light straight at his brother, and he'd reacted without thought, reaching out for the power he knew was there, the power he constantly felt now. He'd used that power without thought, pushing the spell off course, straight into an innocent golden retriever, but... well, at least it wasn't Dean, right?

He sighed and continued to scrub at the blood stain.

"Hello, Sam," a voice startled him, causing him to drop his jacket into the sink. He spun around and blinked at Cas.

"Cas! Dean's right, man, you need a bell or something," Sam told him with a chuckle. Cas gave him a small smile.

"You were in trouble," he stated. Sam figured he would have been able to tell exactly what had happened through his bond with Dean. He nodded anyway. "You are tapping into Gabriel's power easier each time," Cas told him.

Sam nodded. It was true. Each time he reached out for it, it responded easier, more fluidly. It was quickly becoming an extension of himself in a way the demon blood's power never was.

"Is it wrong?" he asked quietly, almost afraid of the answer.

"I don't think so. It may not be smart, but I don't believe it's wrong," Cas answered, walking over to place his hand on Sam's chest. The angel closed his eyes, concentrating on something Sam couldn't see. He pulled back after a moment, a surprised look on his face. "Interesting," Cas muttered.

"What? What's interesting?" Sam asked, worriedly.

"I'm not sure, but I'll try and find out," Cas told him before walking past him and out into the main room.

"Cas!" he heard his brother call out in surprise. Sam smiled. It was nice to see Dean so happy these days. Here's hoping it could last.

* * *

Sam looked around. He was in a small town, somewhere in the middle east, and probably a few thousand years ago, at least. He found Gabriel almost instantly this time. He was standing before a young girl. His robes were a glowing white and the girl knelt before him, tremble with tears in her eyes. He couldn't understand the words she said, but the feeling of calm, of joy from Gabriel was easily discernible.

The archangel was saying something, but stopped mid sentence and glanced up at Sam. He looked back down at the girl once before walking over to stand in front of the hunter.

"I've been here before," he told Sam. "This isn't real."

Sam shook his head.

"No, it's not. It's a dream," he told the angel. Gabriel shook his head.

"No, it's my memories. You're inside my head," he said, tilting his head and studying Sam. "I know you."

Sam nodded again. Closer. Maybe this time...

"You carry a piece of me with you. I can feel it. When you're near, I feel whole."

Sam pulled back at that, one hand going up to his chest to settle over the vial there. He opened his mouth to explain when Gabriel pulled back, a look of fear in his face. Sam felt pain. A sharp pull in the back of his head. Darkness was descending around him and a laugh, one he'd never forget echoed through the dream.

He woke in a cold sweat, heart racing. He glanced around, sure he'd see Lucifer lurking somewhere in the dark, but the only person there was a very conked out Dean. Sam took a deep breath. This was getting out of control. Maybe it was time to explain things to his brother.


	3. Chapter Two

**A/N: Enjoy... not much to say... again, I'm on tumblr and twitter. aleishapotter on tumblr, aleisha_potter7 on twitter. Follow if you want!**

Long Journey

Chapter Two

Sam sat at the small table in the motel room he and Dean had picked for the night. They were following the trail of what they believed was a nest of vampires. It was tedious, everyday hunting, and a blessed break from world ending issues. He was staring at a map of the area, each body found was signified with a mark, when he felt his eyes start to droop.

* * *

Sam glanced around. He was in a room, a room familiar for what it was, if not for where. He was very obviously in a library. An old library.

"The Library at Alexandria," a familiar voice intoned.

Sam turned to face Gabriel, resplendent in white robes with the most delicate gold edging. Sam gaped when Gabriel's words penetrated his surprised brain.

"Wait, what?" he asked, looking around the massive room in awe.

"The Library at Alexandria. The most comprehensive collection of ancient and holy texts in the physical world. Magic and mysticism, history and lore, it can all be found here," Gabriel explained.

"And it no longer exists," Sam whispered, eyes taking in every detail possible.

Gabriel gave a sad sigh.

"Yeah, I remember that part," he agreed softly.

"So... what are we doing here?" Sam asked.

"I've read every text in here. You're searching for something, something important. I can remember that much. Since I've read everything here, and angels have picture perfect memories, you can search the texts... at least I think," Gabriel explained. "I... I could feel you, before you showed up. I focused on this and here we are. I just wish I knew what we were looking for," Gabriel muttered, walking off down the central aisle.

Sam followed Gabriel. It was easy to keep up with the shorter man, which made Sam wonder if Gabriel's physical form was a manifestation of Sam's mind, or the angel's.

"Wait," Sam called out, focusing on what Gabriel had said earlier, "you focused on this place? Meaning you can control the environment? So, are we actually in your mind, not mine?" he asked.

Gabriel stopped walking and turned to face Sam.

"I don't know where we are. Maybe we're in some shared dream space," he offered with a shrug before turning and walking off again.

Sam followed, but just as they were approaching a table with several unrolled scrolls, Gabriel spun back to face him.

"You're going to leave," he stated.

Sam opened his mouth to ask what he meant, but before the words could come out, he was jerked awake.

"There's been another body, completely drained of blood," Dean told him with a grim look when he came to. Sam rubbed a hand over his face. Great.

"Alright, give me a minute and we can head out," he said, scrambling to throw his papers and maps and laptop into his bag. Gabriel and that dilemma would have to wait.

* * *

Dean threw himself down on the bed. Another dead end. He couldn't figure out how the vamps were moving so damn fast. They would literally hit a town, kill one person, and then disappear, showing up a few hundred miles down the road a few days later. They were two steps ahead of Sam and Dean and it was driving him nuts.

He felt Cas before he saw him. A slight tingle through the bond just before the soft flutter of wings broke the silence of the room.

"Hey, Cas," Dean greeted, not bothering to open his eyes.

"Hello, Dean," Cas greeted. He felt the bed dip as the angel took a seat next to him on the bed.

"Missed you," Dean mumbled, moving closer to the warm body.

"You're upset," Cas whispered wrapping an arm around Dean.

"People are dying, Cas, and we're stuck two damn steps behind," Dean muttered angrily.

Cas carded his fingers through Dean's hair.

"You shouldn't blame yourself for the actions of monsters. You and Sam will figure it out, you always do," Cas told him.

"Yeah, but how many more people have to die before we figure it out?" he asked, feeling the angry guilt growing.

Cas sighed and Dean felt a soothing peace flowed through the bond. The angel leaned over and pressed his lips to Dean's.

"Stop carrying the world on your shoulders, Dean. You do the best you can, no one can ask more of you," he told him, a slight growl to his words.

Dean swallowed and nodded. He knew better than to argue with Cas about this.

Cas pulled him close, wrapping his body around Dean's.

"Sleep," the other man ordered. Dean closed his eyes, giving in to his exhaustion.

Dean was just on the edge of oblivion when a flare of panic and pain shot through the bond. Cas shot up from his place beside him, a hand gripping his chest. He was panting, hard, a look of fear on his face.

"Claire," he whispered fearfully. Cas looked at him with wide eyes. "I have to go."

Dean opened his mouth to ask what was going on but Cas cut him off with a brief kiss. With a flutter of wings, the angel was gone, leaving Dean confused and worried.

* * *

Sam glanced around the cavernous room. He was back at the Library.

"Shall we try again?" a familiar voice sounded behind him. He turned and blinked at the archangel. Gabriel was standing behind him, wearing jeans and flannel shirt with a dark green jacket over it. He looked like he did the last time they had seen him, at the Elysian Fields hotel. "How do I look?" he asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Normal for once," Sam answered honestly.

Gabriel glanced down at his attire.

"This feels right," he muttered under his breath, then glanced back up at Sam with a smirk. "Well, let's get to it."

Sam followed the shorter man over to the table they'd been at previously. He fingered one of the old scrolls, reading the words scrawled across it.

"How can I read this?" he asked.

Gabriel shrugged.

"Maybe because I know what it says. Language means nothing to me. What I know, you know," he offered with an unsure look on his face.

"In other words, you have no idea," Sam said with a chuckle. Gabriel looked affronted.

"Of course I know, I know everything."

Sam laughed hard at that.

"Well, you're starting to act like yourself again, that's a good sign," Sam told him, watching the smirk fade.

"There's not a lot I remember. I'm dead, aren't I? Is this Purgatory?" he asked. Sam turned to fully face the archangel.

"You... we thought you died. But, you either left a bit of your grace, or it was taken, we aren't sure, either way, I have it now. That's what I'm looking for, a way to... bring you back," he explained. Gabriel blinked.

"How did I die?" he asked solemnly.

Sam paused, wondering if he should explain. How do you tell someone their own brother killed them, but only because they stood up against said brother, ready to kill as well?

A cold, chilling breeze blew through the room. The sinister weight of it seemed to settle into his very bones. Gabriel's gaze grew distant, a bit aloof.

"Oh," he muttered, as if remembering the story. "Well, let's see what we can find, then." With that, he pulled a scroll over and started to read.

Sam started thumbing through papers and scrolls, skimming each one for anything relevant, anything that might lend an answer.

He want sure how much time had passed when Gabriel stood up, apparently frustrated.

"I killed your brother," he blurted out, pacing in front of the table. "Why are you helping me?"

Sam sighed. That particular memory wasn't his favorite.

"Technically, you didn't," he argued.

"What do you mean?" Gabriel asked.

"I mean, it was an illusion. A very real one, but an illusion nonetheless," Sam explained. "You were trying to teach me a lesson," he added.

Gabriel's brow furrowed.

"Did it work?" he asked. Sam sighed.

"No. I wish it had, though," he finished in a whisper. "If it had, things... things might have gone very differently. And we might not be here, now. You probably wouldn't have died," he added, guiltily.

Gabriel shifted in place.

"You carry a lot of guilt," he stated.

"Oh? I do, huh? And, how exactly can you tell that?" Sam asked, annoyed at being called on it.

Gabriel looked confused. He closed his eyes and seemed to concentrate deeply for a moment before sliding his eyes back open.

"I can feel you. Here," he indicated at his chest. "It's how I know when you're about to arrive, or... when you're about to wake up."

"Is that... is that why I can access your grace?" Sam asked, finally bringing up the thing he'd been most curious about. Gabriel furrowed his brow.

"What do you mean?" the angel asked. Sam cleared his throat.

"I've been able to... to use your grace. When we're in trouble, when things have been bad, I've been able to use it," he explained.

Gabriel opened his mouth to say something, but a banging sound pulled Sam into consciousness. He sat up in his bed and glanced around the small, single room he'd taken for the night before realizing that the banging was coming from the door. Someone was knocking, insistently.

He got up quickly and made his way over to the door, opening it to find his brother, fully dressed and looking upset.

"Dean?" he asked.

"Get dressed, Sammy," his brother ordered.

"What..." Sam stared at his brother in confusion. They didn't have any leads, no where they planned to go. They had decided on research in the morning...

"Sam! Hurry, we may need to leave, fast. Get dressed," Dean stressed.

"Okay," Sam finally acquiesced.

"It's Cas," Dean added. "I think, I think somethings up. Don't know what, yet, but it seemed pretty big."

Sam nodded and through on his clothes. If Cas needed them, then they'd be there to help.


End file.
